While we all want a proper dark mode on Android, it doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. However, Google did implement it in a limited capacity with Android 8.1 on the Google Pixel 2 family. That was tied to the color of the wallpaper, though, forcing users who want a dark theme to stick to a select few backgrounds for their homescreen. Thanks to a new app, though, it’s possible to get that dark theme with any wallpaper…

The best gifts for Android users

STEPS TO FORCING DARK MODE ON GOOGLE PIXEL

Download LWP+ for Android

Set LWP+ as your wallpaper

Select a background image

Toggle ‘use custom colors’

1. Download LWP+ for Android

The first thing you’ll need to do is download the app “LWP+” on your device. The app is free from the Play Store and doesn’t include any in-app purchases, although you’ll stumble on an ad from time to time.

2. Set LWP+ as your wallpaper

Using your wallpaper picker, you’ll need to set LWP+ as your wallpaper. This can be done from the homescreen by long-pressing an empty area, then selecting wallpapers from the menu which expands.

Finally, scroll down to the bottom of the list for the “Live Wallpapers” section, which will contain LWP+.

3. Select a background image

Next, you’ll need to decide what background image you want to use. To do that, open the LWP+ app from your app drawer and the main screen will have an option that says “select background image.” Using that, you can easily pick any image downloaded to your phone.

4. Toggle “use custom colors”

The beauty of this app is that, regardless of what you choose, Android will still see it as a dark wallpaper, meaning it can still use the dark mode on devices that support it. However, you’ll want to double check that’s working properly. To do that, ensure under the “OS Colors” section, toggle on the “custom colors” and set them all to black.